Open Thread: Let’s talk about the San Antonio Spurs 2005 NBA Championship

Photo by D. Clarke Evans/NBAE via Getty Images

The first was given an asterisk, the second deemed boring. The third was a brawl.

Just like with the 1999 and 2003 NBA Finals, the Spurs starting five in Game 1 featured four players whose numbers have been retired. In 2003, Duncan, Parker, and Bowen added Ginobili and one other player whose number is not retired. Trivia- who is the lone wolf in 2005?

Some takeaways:

• This was the first NBA Finals since 1987 to feature the last two champions which feature the storied Magic Johnson Lakers and Larry Bird Celtics. (In 2010, the Lakers would meet again after being the last two to win. And the Golden State Warriors would swap titles with the Cleveland Cavaliers in a four year run of Finals match-ups.)
• This series also featured the two best defensive teams in the NBA. The Spurs allowed the least amount of points and the Pistons the second least.
• The first Finals without David Robinson looked very different in the way the Spurs played, Duncan was clearly taking on more, but he looked more battered throughout as he had more opposition in the paint. Plus, Ben Wallace was just a massive guy compared to the last two Finals appearances.
• Big Shot Bob!
• To me, this was one of the most interesting Spurs finals. Very competitive, lots of excitement. Going seven games really built up the suspense.
• Tim Duncan was names Finals MVP, but Mani Ginobili had only 13 less points (he also played 33 less minutes). 9 steals, 28 assists, and 41 rebounds for the series while shooting a team best 49.4% makes me think Obi-Wan Ginobili should have been the MVP. In hindsight, each of the Big 3 would have had one. And Duncan already had bookends.

What are your biggest takeaways and memories of the 2005 NBA Finals?

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Open Thread: Let’s talk about the San Antonio Spurs 2005 NBA Championship
Open Thread: Let’s talk about the San Antonio Spurs 2005 NBA Championship